


Sometimes When We Touch

by anesor



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Brotherly Love, Brothers, Canon Divergence - Battle of Mustafar, Gen, RotS AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:20:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27986847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anesor/pseuds/anesor
Summary: On Mustafar, Obi-Wan and Anakin's fight dances on a knife's edge.  Both showing signs of reluctance as outside forces push them toward lethality...
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22
Collections: Shadows of the Clone Wars (NaNo2020 short stories)





	Sometimes When We Touch

They had already been dueling for minutes or centuries in the stale, sulphur-tainted air of the mining facility. Despite advanced climate control, whisps of noxious materials crossed through the energy barriers with each being who entered and exited.

But today this facility had only entrances, dead bodies would not further degrade the air until the bodies rotted. Mustafar was an antiseptic world, even rotting had trouble surviving.

The Senator balanced on the edge of death far behind the fight. Her husband, sweaty with amber eyes, glared at him with madness.

The ache of Jedi lives, bright in the Force, still trickled away in a steady drip of torture even as they fought.

The duelists were still evenly matched: power vs skill, passion vs compassion, attack vs defense… broken love vs hatred.

Hands thrown out, close enough to touch, but pushing and pulling for some tactical advantage.

In that moment, the Jedi Master, the man, saw the inevitable horror of this battle ending as it started. Distrust, fear, grief, and hatred left no room for peace or a future.

He would not survive this, even if he defeated the new Darksider.

But he could not stop, not for his own life nor the Senator.

The Force was ever present, weeping for so many lost.

And still he pushed, giving his all against the abyssal tidal wave, missing the man who still stood in front of him.

Missing the young man quick with affections, the golden-haired youngling so bright to see.

He missed when this was competitive and amused sparring, instead of life and death ferocity...

When a good spar would end with...

Reaching with his arm instead of the Force, he grabbed Anakin and pulled him close to hold him tight against him, kissing his temple. “Oh, Anakin. How did we get to this extreme? Why didn’t you come to me for help? Everyone knows… knew that I am attached but you.”

Anakin stiffened, then gripped Obi-Wan back even _**harder,**_ his breath stuttering until he was sobbing. “It’s horrible, Master. I keep screaming inside my head, but my body keeps moving. I’m so alone, the- there’s no one left. Even Padme’s turned against me.”

Anakin’s face buried in his own sweaty neck, Obi-Wan carefully ran fingers through the boy’s hair. “I will always support your hopes and dreams, even if I cannot shield you from your nightmares, my Padawan. Come, Threepio will need help to get her to the medic droid, that is our most pressing concern right now...”

Anakin pulled back to look at Obi-Wan with a fresh sob. “Oh, Force. _**I**_ _did it!_ I was why she was dying in that nightmare. I thought the Troll was punishing me for being in love.”

“Breathe. You have some bond, does the Senator live?” Obi-Wan pulled Anakin into a Force-enhanced run for the landing platform.

Within a few steps, Anakin didn’t need towing and his leaps led the pace.

The Senator was still unconscious on the aide bench, the attached droid taking scans. She did not seem close to death, either.

Anakin dropped to his knees beside her, heartbroken.

Obi-Wan rubbed his back between the shoulder blades. “Diagnosis?” he spoke almost crisply.

“Patient has has severe bruising of the throat. Possible brain damage to patient or children. All will need to be tested later...”

“Children?” Anakin looked up in surprise, with red around his eyes.

“Two extra heart beats are detectable, unless patient is non-standard human with extra organs?”

“There are two bright, young presences, healer.” Obi-Wan thought Qui-Gon would have been fascinated at the implications of some mystic Chosen One having children.

Anakin took one of Padme’s hands in his flesh one and looked up at his Master. “What now, Master? I have done terrible things, all because I wanted the power to save her from… me.” His voice wobbled on the last.

Obi-Wan sighed, trying to balance their immediate needs against theie needs as a Sith empire rose. “As ever when losing a battle. Escape, regroup, and plan for the future. We are in the worst position since the last Sith purge thousands and thousands of years ago. Do you want to help restore what was lost?”

“I want them safe.”

Obi-Wan needed to phrase this so Anakin _understood_ and these were not concrete, measurable truths.

“ **Safety is a lie.** You _cannot_ keep people safe unless you lock them up in a box. Unless you take their freedoms. Would the Queen who fought to save her world stop now in the face of empire? Would any child of that queen or the Hero Without Fear stay out of that fight?”

“Your Duchess died!” Anakin accused.

“She died for something she believed in. I never _owned her_ to decide what she was allowed to do…?” Obi-Wan left that hanging.

Anakin had deep problems if he thought he should or could control Padmé.

“But Maul killed her!”

“Do you really think Maul’s _Master_ will protect Padmé, when she works for democracy?” He had to reach the fledgling Darksider. “Anakin, how often has Palpatine already been foresworn? He promised to serve the Republic and its people. He promised to allow people their faiths. He’s promised to observe sentient rights but has stomped on them for how long now, clone and civilian? Has he proposed or signed in any of the clone rights bills despite their sacrifices? Has he lifted a finger to slow or stop the travesty with Ahsoka, when he knew how important she is to...”

“You didn’t stop it!”

“I slowed it. I diverted demands you be assigned to immediate battle from the Senate. I am the most junior member of the Council, not Chancellor of the Republic. Any ambition I may have had for more is pointless in that mauseleum.”

“I’m not even sure she’s alive. There was such pain and she faded away.”

“Perhaps we can look after a few weeks.” Obi-Wan could see Anakin still needed that hope.

“I sent her to Mandalore to meet Rex. I haven’t heard from him either.”

“First, we survive. Collecting your Padawan surely counts for regrouping. You owe your wife much right now after your part in this mess.”

“He is so _powerful._ I was so afraid of him, he is Darker than Dooku.” When Anakin hunched down again, he wept again.”

A distant part of the High General, mentally checked off the removal of the Sith apprentice, provisionally.

The larger part was so glad to have his feckless brother back.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> So many small changes could have impacted their duel... I just keep thinking 'what if _this_ happened?'
> 
> Star Wars was created by Lucas and owned by Disney. I do not own them and make no profit from this work.


End file.
